Interlocking casing-reducing nipple



B. D. McALVAY, L. S. HAMER AND G. C. DEAKINS.

INTERLOCKING CASING REDUCING NIPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1920.

- Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

FIG. 4.

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. I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1920.

1,367,156. I Patented Feb. 1,1921.

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BU-DD .D. MO ALVAY, LELAND S. HAMER, AND GROVER C. DEAKINS, OF ANAHEIM,

CALIFORNIA,

INTERLOCKING CASING-REDUCING NIPPLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1921.

Application filed March 16, 1920. Serial No. 366,338,

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Bonn D. MoALvAY,

LELAND S. HAMER, and Gnovnn C. DEAKINS, citizens of the United States, residing at Anaheim, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Interlocking Casing- Reducing Nipples, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to oil, gas and well digging and working apparatus and especially to means for facilitating the obtaining of circulation and cementing in of a well casing to shut off water from above the lower end of the well casing. The object of the present invention is to provide an improved head or nipple attachment for well casing so as to enable the application of the device to the head section of well casing in the process of lowering the casing and in securing water circulation and cementing in the well. All with a minimum requirement of time in the application of the head or nipple and while the elevators may be operating so as to overcome the tendency of the casing becoming frozen by the settling of sand or material about the inserted casing and to facilitate the introduction of cement between the usual lower plug and the upper plug which are utilized in cementing in the well.

A further object of the invention is to provide a quick detachable head or nipple with means for making a water tight joint with the casing and with means for making a substantial interlock with the usual top collar at the head section of the well casing and to secure the proper setting of the connections and of the packing by a single actuating device.

The invention consists of the construction, the combination, and in details and arrangements' of the parts an embodiment of which invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described and claimed herein.

Figure 1 is a central diametricalsection through the head, certain of the parts being in elevation and showing the head with the expansion pins retracted.

Fig. 2 is a central diametrical section in a plane at right angles to the section of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the expansion jaws.

Fig. 4: is a detail sectional view of the reacting means for operating the packing expander.

Fig. 5 is a plan of a portion of the sectlona-l packing supporting ring.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the top cam plate for operating the expanding devices.

The present improved head ornipple is designed to be readily slipped in to the upper end of a well pipe or casing a portion of which is indicated at 2; the upper end of the pipe being threaded at 3- to receive a collar 4 which is shown as internally threaded throughout its length. The head or nipple comprises a central, tubular body member 5 the upper end of which is externally threaded as at 6 for the convenient attachment of any connection, as for instance, a pipe or hose connected to a .high pressure pump to introduce water under pressure in the casing 2 for the usual purpose of creating a circulation in and about the casing to clean out the casing and the surrounding hole.

The lower end of the tubular body mem* her 5 is threaded to receive a nut 6 above which is placed a detachable flange 7 having a hub to abut against a shoulder 9 on the body part 5 and above which is a larger flange 10 having a diameter sufliciently smaller than the internal diameter of the collar to pass into the same but sufficiently lar e to rest upon the upper edge of the pipe.

The removable flange 7 is of size to easily pass into the pipe or casing 2. The hub 8 of the flange and the shoulder 9 are shown of about the same diameter and around these parts and between the flange l0 and the flange 7 there is placed an expanding ring 11 having a cylindrical bore to fit the parts 8 and 9 the periphery of the expanding ring 11 being conical, tapering upwardly and about the ring 11 there is arranged a split ring or expander 12 having an inclined inner surface to fit the expanding ring 11. The expander ring lifits between the flange 10 and the flange 7 and is sufliciently smaller than the diameter of the pipe 2 to provide a space for a ring of packingrl.

he expanding ring 11 is provided with a set of upwardly extending rods 15 having threaded upper ends 16 on which are wing nuts 17. Below the wing nuts are washers 17' disposed on the upper face of a cam plate or collar 18 that is rotatively mounted on the cylindrical neck of the part 5. The top face of the cam plate 18 has at suitable location cams 19 (Fig. 6) shown as upwardly projecting portions surrounding respective slots 20 concentric to center of the plate 18 and through which slots the rods 15 extend.

The plate 18 is provided at its circular face with a series of sockets '18 in which may be inserted any convenient tool or object to enable the rotation of the plate 18 with a result of forcing the cams 19 beneath the washers 17 so that the rods 15 are lifted with their ring 11, which in turn forces the expanding ring 12 outwardly against the packing 14 and this makes a snug fit against the inner face of the pipe 2.

Below the cam plate 18 is a collar 21 also fitting the neck 5' and resting against a shoulder 5 at the adjacent portion of the tube 5. Arranged in the space formed between the collar 21 and the flange 10 is a split ring jaw comprising a plurality of curved sections 22 having a toothed outer face 23 to engage the threads of the collar 4 when the sections 22 are expanded. The

inner faces of these sections are downwardly and inwardly tapered to correspond to a follower or expansion ring 24 slidably fitted on the body part 5 between the flange 10 and the collar 21 and between the lower face of the follower cone 24 and the flange 10 are disposed sprin s 25-having the tendency of forcing the ollower 24 upwardly; the springs being shown as coiled about the adjacent portions of the rods 15. The follower ring or cone 24 is provided with a set of upwardly extending rods 26 that may be threaded in the ring 24 as shown and the upper ends of the rods 26 are provided with blocks 27 of rectangular form in plan or cross-section but having inclined upper or end faces 28. These blocks are shown as threaded on the upper ends of the rods 26 and operate in pockets 29 provided therefor in the head plate 21 and the upper ends of the blocks 27 set in recesses 30 provided in the lower face of the cam plate 18. These recesses are made with curved side walls concentric of the plate 18 and as clearly shown in Fig. 4' the transverse wall or face 31 of the recess 30 is inclined downwardly from the inner end of the recess and toward the bottom face of the cam plate 18 so that when this plate issrotated in the direction of the arrow Figs. 4 and 6, the cam face 31 in each pocket 30 engaging the end face 28 of each block 27 forces the block with its rod 26 and the follower cone or expanding device 24 downwardly and thus thrusting the split expanding jaws 22 outwardly to bring their teeth into an engagement and interlocking with the teeth or threads in the collar 4.

The device is adapted to insert into the collar and pipe with the parts 12-14 and 22-24 in contacted position so that attachment can quickly and easily be made without materially interrupting the usual operations in lowering the casing or in reciprocating it and the sectional expanding ring or jaws 22 and held in contracted position by suitable means. as for instance, a contractile girdle that may comprise a helical spring 33 placed in a groove 34 turned in the circular set of jaw members 22. The cam plate 18 with the head plate 21 are held against shifting on the neck 5 by a threaded collar or nut forming part 35 on the upper threads 6 of the central tubular member 5. As the device has been introduced into the collar 4 and pipe 2 with its parts in contracted relation a tool or instrument of appropriate kind is applied to the socket holes of the cam plate 18 and the latter is rotated so that its cams 19 will lift the rods 15 and the expanding ring 11 so that the latter will press the expansion members 12 outwardl to seat at packing 14. During this operation the can] walls 31 in the bottom of the recess 30 force the cam blocks 27 with their rods 26 downwardly against the reaction of the springs 25 and by moving down the follower or expanding cone 24 force the jaws 22 outwardly collar 4. The cam plate 18 may be locked against loosening up by any suitable means, as for instance, a key or pin 35 that can be dropped into an aperture 36 therefor in the cam plate 18 to register with one of the series of pin holes 37 provided in the top of the head plate 21.

The flange 10 may be provided with a set of keys 10 for each of the jaw blocks 22 which have in their lower end face keyways 22' for the keys of 10'.

From the above it will be seen that the invention provides for the quick attachment of a nipple or head forming part to substantially close the upper end of a section of pipe forming a part of a well lining or casing and which has the capacity of being securely interlocked to the applied collar on the pipe without requiring the removal of the collar and its replacement as now commonly required in the operation of producingcirculation in the well and casing, and when cementing in with the ordinary process of applying and removing a head connection at each step.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A detachable head or nipple for well casings having a contractible means and a packing ring expandible by said means for making a tight joint in the upper end of the well casing; and means for interlocking with the usual collar on the upper end of to interlock with the 9 thewell casing; said means being contractible and expansible to provide for ready attachment of the device to the collar.

2. A quick attachable and detachable head or nipple for well casings comprising a tubular carrying part adapted for attachment to connections for introducing fluid therethrough into the casing; contractile and expansible means for making a tight joint at the head of the casing; and contractile and expansible means for locking the device tosaid part to interlock with the casing; and

means for concurrently expanding the said packing means and the locking means at one operation; and means for locking theparts in their expanding position.

5. A head or nipple with a central. tubular carrying part; expansible packing means attached to said part to make a tight fit in the casing; expansible locking means carried on said part to interlock with the casing; and means for concurrently expand ing the said packing means and the locking means at one operation; and means for retubular body member provided with means at its upper end for attachment to charging apparatus; a flange on the said body part to rest on the upper end of a casing section; means below the flange for forming a tight joint therewith; locking means adapted to be expanded into interengagement with a part on the casing section; and a cam device for concurrently setting the locking means and the packing means.

7. A connection for quick attachment to the head of a well casing and for quick detachment therefrom, comprising a central, tubular body member provided. with means at its upper end for attachment to charging apparatus; a flange onthe said body part to rest on the upper end of a casing section; means below the flange for forming a tight joint therewith, locking means adapted to be expanded into interengagement with a part on the casing section; and a cam device for concurrently setting the locking means and the packing means; and means for retracting the locking means when the same is released.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

BUDD D. MoALVAY. LELAND S. HAMLER. GROVER O. DEAKINS. 

